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Safe to use hands-free devices in the car? Yes, according to research
A new study suggests that drivers who use hands-free electronic devices, as opposed to handheld ones, are less likely to get into a crash.
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High schoolers see the road from a truck driver's point of view
VTTI researchers are visiting 25 high schools to teach driver’s education students how to drive safely around trucks. The "Sharing the Road" program is funded by a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
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Automotive leaders can leverage top Virginia Tech student talent and VTTI facilities for advanced-vehicle R&D
Industry leaders now have the rare opportunity to help train the next generation of connected- and automated-vehicle engineers thanks to InternHUB, a unique internship program at VTTI.
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New study buckles down on child car seat use in ride-share vehicles
Researchers at VTTI and Texas A&M Transportation Institute have released a new study about child ridership and safety seat use in ride-share vehicles.
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Transurban and VTTI partner to make roadways safer for motorcycle riders
Transurban has partnered with VTTI to launch the Motorcycle Technology Evaluation Challenge (MotoTEC). MotoTEC seeks to implement rider-centric research to identify and advance potential new technologies to address the safety and usability needs of riders on the road and around construction work zones.
Welcome from the Director
It is rare to have a career in which one feels they are truly making a difference. It is rarer still to work with others–faculty, staff, and students–who are dedicated to such a daunting endeavor. But that is what makes VTTI unique. This is a community with a voracious desire to dig deep to find the solutions that will ensure the safety of all ground transportation users, from truck and car drivers to motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. This is a community that is dedicated to creating a sustainable transportation system and to preserving our mobility, our infrastructure, and our environment.
It has been 30 years since VTTI was founded. Then called the Center for Transportation Research, we encompassed 15 employees. Today, we stand at more than 500 employees, house the largest group of driving safety researchers in the world, annually see sponsored research expenditures of more than $40 million, have an infrastructure worth more than $110 million, and support close to 300 undergraduate and graduate students who are gaining first-hand knowledge into the field of transportation research.
This is but a snapshot of what VTTI has accomplished. What we will continue to accomplish is nothing short of our core mission: to save lives, save time, save money, and protect the environment.
Virginia Smart Road
The Virginia Smart Road is a unique, state-of-the-art, full-scale, closed test-bed research facility managed by VTTI and owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The Smart Road continues to play an important role in the overall success of the institute and its research endeavors. Transportation scientists and product developers have spent more than 20,000 hours conducting research on this high-tech highway since its opening.
Anne Deekens